Heysham Obs
Ended up as single observer of what I'm on record as saying is the most stringy species in Lancashire (as opposed to the White Wagtail subspecies)! It took 35 minutes to be certain of the identification due to a combination of initial distance and then active feeding. After 'swopping channels' round the end of the sandbank during a dive, it was then seen heading increasingly distantly up the Kent channel and a diver which appeared to be this species was unfortunately rather belatedly picked up in flight heading for south Walney at 0950hrs
North harbour wall 0830-1030hrs (seawatching disrupted by concentrating on the Bk TD)
Black-throated Diver - became aware of it distantly on the sea about 0855hrs, then reasonable views about 35 minutes later (see above). No sign of any breeding plumage therefore most likely to have been a 2CY
Red-throated Diver - 4 in summer plumaged birds in together + single wp/2CY 'in'
Guillemot - c10 floating in, including group of 5
Sandwich Tern - absolute minimum of 50 'in' & presumably the same birds starting to come out and 'ignored' count-wise from about 0945hrs
Arctic Tern - flock of 12 'in' as soon as I got there at 0830 was the only sighting (any missed pre-0830?)
Arctic Skua - dark morph in very high and gaining height at 0844hrs
Purple Sandpiper - 1 under the wooden jetty
No sign of Black Guillemot, despite calm conditions
Ocean Edge/Red Nab/outfalls
Only about half the number of gulls as yesterday & nothing of note amongst them
Bar-tailed Godwit - flock of 217 on the tideline just south of Stage 2 outfall - these are the Lune estuary birds as indicated by the presence of the leucistic individual
Whimbrel - 3
Wheatear
11 Ocean Edge, 3 on the NHW mound, one on heliport
Whinchat
Male on fence in non-op land at 1400hrs
Mammals
A single Harbour Porpoise only appeared to breach the once
Elsewhere
Everyone appears to be at work!
